Collapsible and adjustable crate for furniture



' 21 1927. June E. F. RAU

COLLAPSIBLE AND ADJUSTABLE CRATE FOR FURNITURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 28. 1926 INVENTOR.

21 l 927 E..F. RAU

COLLAPSIBLE AND ADJUSTABLE CRATE FOR FURNITURE Filed Jan. 28, 1926 .2 Sheets-Sheet 2 r. r L w& Q m l M5 MG? 3 L w Patented June 21, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

COLLAPSIBLE AND ADJUSTABLE CRATE FOR FURNITURE.

Application filed January This invention relates to improvements in collapsible or knockdown crates, of the type primarily designed for shipping purposes, wherein furniture of various kinds, be it of compact size, like bureaus, davenports, buf fets, or cabinets, or of more complex or discontinuous shape, like bedsteads, chairs, tables, couches, or of delicate or breakable material, like portraits, mirrors, glass cases and so forth, may safely be packed and transported, whereupon the empty crates can be taken apart or reduced to a minimum amount of space, to be returned to the shipper. As the crates in such condition oc-' cupy little space in the car, the freight rates are thereby also reduced to a minimum.

One of the primary objects of the invention is the construction of a crate of a rectangular skeleton box form which is light, durable, cheap and at the same time of rigid and reliable construction.

Another object is to make this skeleton box adjustable in all directions, so that it may be enlarged or contracted in all or any of its three main dimensions.

A third object is to provide adjustable means whereby the contents may be secured or suspended within the inner space in such manner that they may be held stationary in relation to the crate with sufficient clearance on all sides, so as to prevent all frictional contact or impact fromwithout. Y

A fourth object is to make the crate of such simple construction that. it can easily be taken apart by an unskilled laborer, and, as the parts are made interchangeable and are based on the same principles throughout, can just as easily be-put together again.

Other objects in compass with and following from the above noted objects will become evident from the present description.

With these objects in view the invention consists in the construction. combination and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a crate, embodying the principles of this invention, the single members extended for larger capacity of contents.

Figure 2 is a. sectional view, taken on line 2-2, Figure 1, showing in addition two pairs of clamping members, holding a chaim indicated by dotted line in 28, 1926. Serial No. 84,353.

pension. The clamping members are shown in cross section and do not appear in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a horizontal cross section, taken on line 33, Figure 1, and showing also a top view of the clamping members, referred to above.

Figure 4- is a furtherillustration of a pair of clamping members, in this instance applied to a bedstead, indicated by dotted lines, and furthermore provided with another pair of cross clamping slats securing the bedstead against lateral displacement.

Figures 5 and 6 illustrate a pair of corner clips, reinforcing the skeleton frame against rough usage in transit.

Figure 7 is an end clip, such as is used for the clamping members.

Figure 8 is a coupling or guide clip, which holds the bolts that couples two slidably engaged members.

Figure 9 shows the free or extant end of such slidable member, and a recess provided at the end for the clearance and reception of a fastening bolt, belonging to another member, and with which it may otherwise interfere.

The same or similar reference characters denote the same or similar elements through out the different views.

Concerning the construction indetail it is to be observed that the crate, presenting the customary skeleton form, is primarily composed of eight similar sections or parts, each of which forms a corner of the crate, while each of its three side panels, surrounding the rectangular corner, comprises one quarter respectively of the adjacent crate panels. 'Each section is formed of slotted slats or skid bars which are adapted to slidably engage the slotted slats of the opposite corners. The slidably engaged. slats are adjustably coupled together at their overlapping free ends by means of saddle plates, keeping the slats in alignniient and provided with bolts, passing through the, slots, to lock the superimposed slat ends in their adjusted position. It is evident from this general combination of parts, that a boXcrate of this design is adjustable in each of its three dimensions; it affords a wide range of increase or decrease of capacity. If for ex amle a crate it). cube form, when reduced inn capacity, would measure it nently fixed at their end supports, but have on account of the peculiar construction of the slotted edge members a wide range of adjustability in a sidewise direction, so that for any size or capacity of the crate these lateral slats may be spaced apart at equal distances.

Referring to the drawings in particular, numerals .11 a and 11 Z) designate the corresponding halves of the vertical corner posts or edge members, each half consisting of a flat beam or slat, slotted in the middle through almost its entire length (see 11), leaving both ends 11 solid and substantial enough for rigidity and strength.

The middle braces 14 a and Z) are otherwise of the same construction as the edge members.

Where the corresponding slats meet and overlap in the middle of the crate edges, a saddle plate 18, shown at an enlarged scale in Figure 8, spans them, consisting of a front sheet 18 a and two longitudinal flanges 18 Z), wide enough to encompass the thickness of the two superimposed slats and to prevent their lateral dislocation. Through a hole 18 c in the middle of the front sheet is inserted a bolt 18 cl, provided with nut and washers, and adapted to pass through the slots of both slats and thus firmly tie them together.

The four horizontal side edge members, shown on top and bottom of Figure Qand con "sting of the slidably engaged slats 12 a and 12 b with slots 12 and ti e four horizontalfront and rear edge members, indicated in Figure 1, and consisting of the slats 13 a and 13 Z) with slots 13 are made and joined together after the same manner as described in connection with members 11 a and 11 Z), except that the saddle plate 19 for the front and rear member 13 a, b, and shown as an enlarged detail in Figure 7, is of somewhat modified form. h

if, for instance, as Figures 1 and 3 indicate, a middle brace, consisting of the corresponding slotted slats 1 1 a and 1 1 b, is provided,

the endsot the same may advantageously be attached to and encompa sed by the saddle plate 19 (see Figs. 1 and 2), though this teature of the construction is optional and may be dispensed with by other arrangements. Consequently the front sheet 19 a is made large enough to embrace the end of the slat 14 a or Z) besides the width of slats 13 a, Z); and the flange 19 d, overlapping 1 1 a or Z) is provided vith a sufficient number of holes 19 cl to fasten it permanently with nails or screws to aforesaid ends of the brace 1% a or I) respectively.

Where three edge members meet to form galvanized sheet iron, and the flattened out corners are stamped out with slots 20 0, provided on each side for the reception of the fastening bolts 21. Slots instead of round bolt holes in the clips are to be preferred (see also 19 in Figure 7) as the timber of the slats may not always run true to nominal size or the slots in them may happen to be more or less eccentric. The slots in the clips must of course be out in the right direction, that is at right angles to the slot of the timber through which the bolt passes. See the slots 20 c in the four corners of the crate panel shown in Figure 1. The flattened shape of the corner clip must be such that when the sheet is bentinto final form, one of the sides 20 (Z, adjacent to the newly formed edge 22 is cloubled and that this doubling of the side containsa whole slot 20 0 within its area, so that the bolt passing through two superimposed slots, forms a iii-m connection between the two plate portions 20 (Z and thus keeps the folded clip in rigid shape. There will be two sets of corner clips, each comprising 1 clips, and made right or left hand respectively, required. Compare for this the two kinds of clips represented by Figures and 6. H

Besides the edge members and middle braces just described there can be employed a plurality of intermediate members on any or all panels of the crate, just as the size or purpose of the crate may require. Such intermediate members, a, 6, 16 a, Z), and 17 a, 2; (Figures 1 to 8) are formed analogods to the formerly described members,

i 'l bars, g saddle plates 18 and at their extreme end. joined to the edge members by a modified form of these plates, similar to the one shown in Figure 7. See 19 in Fig. 1. It is to be remarked that all these intermediate members are detachable and interchangeable and they may therefore be applied or omitted, as circumstances and difierent sizes may require.

viz, as overlapping slotted slats or s coupled 1n t 1e middle by guidin.

According to the manner in which the corner clips are fastened to the convergent ends of the edge slats, it may be found thatexcept in the case of countersunk bolt headsthe inside ends of these fastening bolts mayinterfere with the oncoming end of the other component sliding portion of the respective edge slat, when the crate is pushed together to its minimum size. Considering the upper part of Fig. 1, for instance, it will be apparent, that when slats 13 a. and 13 b are pushed together, as far as they will go, the right hand end of 13 b will be stopped by the inside end of bolt 21. To prevent this, the end of 13 Z) could be grooved out, as shown by 25 in Fig. 9, which then would permit the slat to be pushed over the bolt end until it would reach the cross slat 12 a.

it remains to describe the means by which a piece of furniture, for instance a chair (3%), when shipped in'the crate, is held suspended and immovable within the inner space of the properly adjusted crate.

This is accomplished by a plurality of adjustable clamping members formed according to the identical principle employed for the foregoing intermediate members, or middle braces, the only difference being that they are positioned across the inner space of the crate, as the clamping members 26, 27, 28 and 29 in Fig. 2 demonstrate. It will be apparent from the drawing that in this way a chair for instance can be tightly held in suspension as the distance between any two of these members is adjustable in both directions, vertically and horizontally, as circumstances may require. The application and the number of these clamping members is of course optional.

Following up the general idea of these adjustable and extensible clamping members,- which also may be used as simple supports for furniture, resting 011 them-it is feasible to use further auxiliary cross members, not necessarily reaching out to the main panel slats, but supported only by the aforesaid clamping members. They may again be made adjustable in the manner described, or they may themselves be of simpler construction: they can for example consist of a sin gle timber provided with one or a couple of shorter slots, the adjustment being effected by means of these and the bolts, passing through them only. Figure 4 shows such an arrangement, 30 and 31 representing the main clamping members and 32 and 33 the auxiliary cross members, as aforedescribed.

Numeral 34 indicates the suspended furniture, a bedstead in this instance. Various changes in the form, proportion and details of construction may be made without departing from the general principle of the invention and its scope has therefore to be judged not so much according to the exact features shown as to what is claimed as novel and Patent.

Claims 1. A collapsible box-crate, formed exclusively of detachable bar units, each unit comprising two partly overlapping skid bars, slotted throughout their available lengths, slidably connected at their overlapping ends and provided with means adapted to guide and to acljustably lock them in rigid alignment, detachable means to adjustably fasten them at their free ends at right angles to other bar units and detachable means to rigidly connect the converging ends of the units to form the corners of the crate.

2. The combination with an extensible crate, formed of a plurality of'longitudi nally adjustable bar units, slotted throughout their available lengths, arranged in pairs, overlapping each other and provided with means to lock them in position throughout the range of their adjustability; of a clamping support formed of similar units, interchangeable with the former units and adapt ed to be adjustably attached to the inside of said crate so as to hold an integral object crated therein in fixed position.

3. An extensible skeleton crate, formed exclusively of a plurality of adjustable bar units, each unit comprising two registering bars, slotted throughout their length with the exception of their extreme ends and provided with a guide plate, slidably engaged.

with said slotted bars, means cooperating with said guide plates and adapted to fasten said bars in alignment, and means to adjustably fasten the bar units at right angles to each other in anydesired combination.

4:. A collapsible and extensible crate formed by a plurality of adjustable members, each consisting of two overlapping slotted bars, a saddle plate, adapted to keep the overlapping ends of the bars in parallel alignment and provided with a bolt hole registering with the aligned slots, a clamping bolt, operatively engaged'with said hole in the saddle plate and said slots, and two other saddle plates, rigidly connected with the slotted bars, one at each free end respectively, and adapted to adjustably connect these ends at right angles to other slotted bars of the crate by means of a clamping bolt, substantially as specified.

5. An extensible crate in eight collapsible sections, each forming a corner of the crate and consisting of a multiplicity of uniform and exchangeable slotted bars, adapted to be brought into registering alignment with the corresponding bars of an opposite section respectively, and adjusting means, operating on these slotted bars, adapted to hold the registering bars in alignment and to couple them rigidly together.

6. A collapsible box-crate, simultaneously desired to be secured by Letters extensible in length, height and Width, consisting exclusively of a plurality of uniform bar units, each unit comprising two overlapping bars with registering slots and a clamping saddle, adapted to slidably engage With said bars and provided With means to rigidly clamp them in alignment, means to adjustably fasten the free outer ends of said bars at right angles to other similar bars of the crate at any point of their slotted lengths 10 and means to rigidly join three converging ends of the bars together to form corners of the crate, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this 21st day of 15 January, 1926.

EDWARD F. RAU. 

